Take Off Your Shoes and Go

This week I watched a 1998 interview of Charlton Heston in which Robert Osborne (of Turner Movie Classics) visited with the iconic Mr. Heston about his long movie career. Obviously TMC’s timely repeat of this was due to Mr. Heston’s recent death. He was a gifted actor who portrayed larger than life men such as El Cid, Michelangelo, Judah Ben-Hur, John the Baptist, and Marc Antony. But above all he will be remembered for playing Moses, the great role he undertook at the age of 31.

In this interview Mr. Osborne asked Mr. Heston about his memories regarding the making of The Ten Commandments. Heston talked about the scene where Moses had just spoken with God at the burning bush. If you look, you’ll notice that Moses is barefoot as he comes down the mountain. Heston said that he told the director, Cecil B. DeMille, that Moses should come back down without his sandals. When asked why, Heston explained his understanding of that scene. He said that God told Moses to take off his sandals and then revealed His divine plan for the Israelites. Heston thought Moses was certainly in a state of fear and awe as he obediently removed his sandals and listened to the voice of God. Once Moses finally accepted that he must obey God and go back to Egypt, Moses’ mind was reeling with all the miraculous things God had just said and done. So in this state of awe, he immediately left the bush and went down the mountain to go do exactly what God commanded him to do. Heston thought that the very last thing on Moses’ mind was to stop and pick up his sandals.

I like thinking about Moses that way, and when you read the story (Ex 3:1-4:18) you easily notice that he was not jumping for joy about this assignment. There on that mountain God told Moses the plan, told him to go (several times), and answered his questions. With our modern hindsight of this episode, we can easily judge Moses for arguing with God and bombarding Him with questions. But more likely than not, if we had been standing there with Moses, we would have done the same thing. But Heston’s thought about the sandals makes sense. When you have encountered the living God and finally give in to His call on your life, your focus changes. You may still have some fear of the unknown ahead, but God’s plan becomes the priority and sandals get left behind.

God provides. He provides the plan. He provides the materials necessary to accomplish the plan. He provides the leadership and the encouragement that we need to persevere through the plan. He empowers and equips us to boldly walk forward, by faith. And when it’s time to go out into the world with His gracious message of love, we need to get up and go as we are, even if that means leaving our sandals behind. It’s not the shoes that make the journey possible. It is the spirit of God who guides every step we take.

"Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." (Ex 3:5)

Ex 3:10 “So now, go. I am sending you…”
Ex 3:16 "Go…”
Ex 4:12 “Now go…”

BONUS: Ten Commandments trivia (click here for all the answers)

1. What year did the movie come out?
2. Who played the baby Moses in the basket on the Nile?
3. Who played Rameses?
4. Edward G. Robinson played what part.
5. What actor was the future husband of a “10”?
6. What modern day device does Moses wear while standing on a rock?
7. In the film’s opening, the “Paramount mountain” is replaced by what?
8. Who supplied the voice of God?
9. What was used to represent falling hail?
10. The last line of the movie, "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof" was taken from Leviticus 25:10. What American icon also has this printed on it?

Consider the Bluebonnets

This past weekend, I ventured to Austin and witnessed one of Texas’ most beautiful sights: field after field of bluebonnets, which occasionally had just the right mix of blue, white, red and pink flowers. I even felt compelled to stop and take a few pictures before I left that area. As I drove off, “Consider the lilies” rang in my ear (Matt 6:25-34). Jesus taught that God had provided everything that the lilies needed to grow. On those Texas hillsides, God also provided everything that the bluebonnets needed to grow. Jesus’ words tell us that God values you much more than those flowers, which He carefully created and nurtured, and therefore God will provide for you in an even greater way.

God is our great provider who gives us everything we truly need. I can’t remember the last time I went a day without a meal, or had to walk to the office. My home keeps the rain outside and the perfect temperature inside. I can have hot or cold running water at a moments notice and my computer runs smooth and fast. Perhaps your own blessings include exciting vacations, your dream car, or a college education for your children. In my travels on vacation, I’ve witnessed neighborhoods where children are glad to have shoes, and the kitchen consists of a fire-heated pot on the front porch. There are those in the world who are glad to have a tiny open-air church within half a day’s walk, and happy for hard wooden benches when they arrive.

When we consider our blessings and remember that God has blessed us so we will be a blessing to others, it puts the world into a better perspective for us. As stewards of what God has given us to use, we have the opportunity to share what we have. When we tithe and give to mission trips, we enter into God’s plan for feeding, clothing and sheltering those in need. In our Christian understanding, the great joy of “having” is “giving”-giving back to God through our prayers, presence, gifts, and service. I pray that you will celebrate the God who has blessed you and respond to His love according to the Spirit’s guidance.

Enjoy the bluebonnets, smell the roses, and be faithful in worshipping and serving their creator.

Why Did the Possum Cross the Road?

Today I saw a possum, presumably crossing... to get to the other side. Not that a possum is a strange sight to me. I grew up in a rural neighborhood where wildlife was prevalent, so possums and possums-on-the-half-shell (armadillos) made their homes near my house. But today’s sighting was different. I’m now in an urban setting, not far from a freeway and there’s no big wooded area nearby. There are some small sections of trees and bushes and the occasional empty lot, but that’s it. I was just surprised to see the possum walk away from one house, cross the street and into the next yard. I imagined that it was a mother possum walking home to her children to feed and protect them. I stopped to watch her eventually disappear into the bushes and wondered “How does she eat? Is she sharing the neighbor’s cat food?” I then thought about the scripture from Luke 12:22-31 where Jesus talks about the how God takes care of the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. I had to smile and think that Mrs. Possum and her family would be just fine. I didn’t need to jump in and try to control the situation or whatever problem I could dream up.

Life happens. Mankind is not capable of controlling time or every single event that happens, no matter how much we try. God is in control, and when we lose sight of that fact we begin to worry and fret over how everything will play out. The little possum I saw didn’t sit in the middle of the road, biting her nails and crying “Woe is me.” She was simply headed back into the little bit of “woods” that was available for her and her family. God provided the shelter and the food for them. Jesus reminds us, with his words about the lilies and the birds, that God is our provider in all things. Yes, we have jobs and work hard to give ourselves homes, cars, clothes and food, but when we fool ourselves into thinking that we did that on our own, we miss out on the comfort of knowing that God is constantly watching over us and caring for us.

When I was a child, my family would take long trips across the country by car. As we would drive into the evening I would get sleepy. It was easy for me to sleep because I knew dad or mom was driving and in charge. I was safe no matter whether I was asleep or awake. Knowing that God is driving and in charge gives me an even higher level of comfort. If He can take care of the lilies and the birds, and the possum family, then He can certainly take care of me. Because God created all things and loves me enough to provide and care for me, I want to be faithful in responding to Him by keeping Him first in my life.

Look around your home and your neighborhood. How can you see God’s providence there? How many times have you thanked Him for helping you out of a sticky situation? Have you noticed that when there seems to be no answer to a problem and you cry out for His help and guidance, that He is faithful to answer you, even if His answer is no? He is the all-wise one, so will you let Him shelter you, feed you, guide you and protect you?

Jesus in a Cheeto

Can you see Jesus in that Cheeto? (Read the story.) I came across this story on a local news station’s website and found that one of our own Methodists had noticed that his Cheeto looked like Jesus. That’s not an unknown kind of story. Who hasn’t read stories about a person who saw the face of Christ in a window smear, a peanut butter sandwich, a potato chip, or other odd places. So many of us think “kook!” and move on. Some of these “Jesus finders” are looked upon as kooky because the perception is that the window smear or food item is being revered, instead of Christ. Others of these “kooks” are snickered at for simply seeing something holy in a common object.

That is pretty kooky, to think you see God in things or situations that don’t have a lot of awe themselves. These “kooks” are not new on the planet. They’ve been here throughout the ages:

Moses thought he saw God in a pillar of fire and a pillar of clouds (Ex 13:21).
Elijah thought he heard God in a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:11-13).
Paul thought he saw and heard Christ in a blinding light (Acts 9:3-6).
Simeon thought he saw God in a baby (Luke 2:25-32).

Fire, clouds, voices, light, babies- all things that we see everyday. They can be created by mankind. They can be great and important or small and fragile. They can be treated with care or given little notice. As inspiring as these things can ever possibly be, they are not God and not to be worshipped. However, God can reveal Himself in them, and give us one more point of contact with Him. God can invite us into relationship with Him in anyway He so chooses, even using a Cheeto.

I love being at the beach. I enjoy walking along the sand taking in God’s presence. I see the ocean heave and roll into the shore, becoming low and bowing before the One who separated the waters from the land. I hear the waves make thunderous applause, congratulating the Creator for his mighty works. I hear the laughter of the seagulls, rejoicing at their privilege of flight. I feel the warmth of the sun and the cool brisk breeze mingling together, reminding me of the fire of the Holy Spirit and the breath of God that gives me daily guidance. Call me a kook, but I see God in all of that- in the sand, the seashells, the water, and the sky. I soak up His presence as I walk, silently singing His praise and listening for His voice. And in all of that… I know He sees me.

I pray that during this Easter season, you will have your eyes opened to seeing God. I hope you see Him in the creation around you. I hope you will see Him in the people around you and that you will love your neighbor as God has loved you.

Easter Traditions

History of the Holidays: Easter

While browsing through some videos I came across this video (click on above link) from the History channel that gives a short overview of the meaning of the traditions of Easter. It begins with Christianity and moves into modern day traditions. It states that our traditions range from “spiritual” to “fun” (Does that promote the idea that “spiritual” is “boring”?). In any case, it is clear that the purpose of our Christian Easter traditions is to remember Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection, and to renew our relationship with the living Christ.

During Lent, we have the opportunity to spend time reflecting on our need for God in our lives. Many Christians use Lenten devotional books to make a daily pilgrimage to a space set aside for communing with God and seeking a deeper understanding of His will. Palm Sunday is a Sunday when Christians celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, and then prepare for Holy Week, a time of remembering Christ’s betrayal and sacrifice. The reason for these Holy week church services is not to create yet one more time to “come to church”, but to allow the church to connect to a corporate remembrance of everything that leads up to Easter:

Our sin. Our need for redemption. The fulfilled promise of a Messiah. The Perfect Rabbi who taught by word and deed. The Humble Servant who led by example. The Healer who made others whole in body and spirit. The Bread of Life who offered us a new covenant and an invitation to remember Him by sharing His body and blood. The One who was denied and betrayed by friends and who asked His Father to forgive us because we didn’t realize what we were doing. The sinless Lamb of God who took our took our sin upon Himself to atone for our sin. The end of sin and death, won by the Son of God hanging upon a bloody cross.

The joy of Christmas moves into the meditative reflection of Lent. The serious heartbreak of Holy week moves into the unbounded joy of Easter. As those who are in the world, but not of it, we look for ways to celebrate coming out of darkness into light. We shop in stores filled with Easter bunnies, Peeps and chocolate candy. We have Easter egg hunts and share in Easter lunches with friends and family. I’m not advocating an abolishment of these traditions, but I encourage you to keep Christ first, especially at Easter. Teach your children the true meaning of Easter and then allow the Easter eggs to teach them about new life. Share with others the sweetness of Christ as you offer someone a chocolate rabbit. I pray that you will allow the Holy Spirit to work within you as you anticipate Easter Sunday. I pray that you will let Christ renew you and recreate you into a hurt-forgiving, faith-sharing, joy-filled and loving disciple of Christ.

Giving Your Best in Worship, Part II

Recently, I left the question open as to who is responsible for preparing and participating in worship. The leader, right? Let’s look at King David, a king who took leadership seriously.

When you read chapter 6 of 2nd Samuel, you read how David, being mindful of earlier irreverent acts, wanted to give God his very best in bringing the ark to Jerusalem. David gave great sacrifices and abandoned his own thoughts about being dignified in the eyes of people. David was focused on giving the best of his energy, thoughts, and possessions to God in a display that said God was the priority. David was the leader, but he was not alone in this time of praising God. Verse 15 says that, David “and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.” They were in it together. They were prepared and participating in praising God- together.

Who prepares our weekly worship? Clergy? Staff? Members of the church? While it is true that the church staff (clergy and lay people) “put together” worship, they are not alone in their responsibility. Every worshipper is responsible for preparing for worship. The average person may never be a part of selecting scriptures or hymns, but there is more to it than that. Everyone should prepare for worship by reading the scripture ahead of time. Pray about it. Meditate on it. What is God saying to you about worship and the life of the church in that scripture?

As far as participation, there are more than the clergy, the choir and the ushers who participate in the worship service. Every worshipper should come prepared and ready to participate in worship by entering the worship space with awe at God’s presence and joy for the opportunity to praise Him along with all the other voices. Every worshipper should participate by being focused in on what the readings, prayers and songs have to do with honoring and revering God, and then be ready to hear and receive what God has to say to us as individuals and as a community of faith.

Yes, those who facilitate and plan the worship service readings, sermon, and music have a large responsibility as to the flow and logistics of worship. But they can not be alone in their activity. Worship is sometimes said to be “good” when the music or the preaching went well, or when something hit an emotional high during that hour. When it goes “bad”, it is the staff who have surely missed something and not created an atmosphere where the congregation is fed and filled.

The church, meaning the clergy and the laity, the staff and the membership are responsible together for giving our best in worship. We are all responsible together for preparing an atmosphere where God is the priority and where the people come together, seeking to give their best worship, their best prayers, their best quiet time of listening, their best tithes and offerings, and their best praises to the one who gave His best, His only Son for us. What are you willing to give?

Giving Your Best In Worship- Part I

(Watch for Part II on Friday)

Ask any Christian about what one should give to God and they would agree that certainly one should give their very best to God. We believe that in theory, but do we practice that belief? If we truly believe that our best is due God, then we would naturally offer our best to him in worship. Stop and ponder a moment and think about your weekly worship service and your participation in that service. How do you view that hour during the week? Is it a time for you to go and be filled? Is it a time for you to be obedient to honoring the Sabbath? Is it a time for you to sing God’s praises and teach your children?

Those are fine things to do, but when we look deeper at what worship is, we must be mindful that worship is to be God-centered, not me-centered. If the only time during the week that you are being filled with God’s presence is Sunday, there’s a problem. If you only go to worship because of duty, worship becomes a chore. If Sunday is the only time you sing God’s praise and teach your children about His love, then you are missing out. Jesus said, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24 NIV). We need to pray, sing and teach all during the week and be aware of God’s omnipresence in our lives, and then, being filled, faithful and eager to join our voice to others, gather for spirit-filled worship.

But how often do we drag into the church at the last minute, scurry into a seat while something “minor” is going on, and sit there with our mind on what we just left and where we need to go next? Does that show “awe” at God’s presence? Donald English, author and New Testament scholar, reminds the church that when you lose an awareness of God’s presence, worship can lose its “life and meaning.” He says:

“Hymns become merely artistic activity; prayers are moments of human reflection; the readings an intellectual engagement; and the offering is a way of sustaining the economy of the church as a human institution.”

The next question is, “whose responsibility is it to prepare and participate in worship?”

Can You Hear Him Now?

Lent is a time when many Christians acknowledge a need to “get back to praying”. This is such a strange notion when you put that thought beside what we say we believe, that daily prayer is “what Christians do.” This acknowledgment of having a pause or a break in your prayer life does recognize two important things. First, our human tendency to stray from our connection to God, and second, our concession that being connected to God is of vital importance to our lives. There are even those who don’t confess to be Christians, but have a longing in their very core for a connection to something greater than themselves. Many people throughout the world sense that God is out there, but may struggle with how to connect. Does God hear us? Does He care? In David’s Psalms, he cries out to God, “hear my prayer” (Ps 28:2, 39:12). David speaks to God knowing that God is there listening. God is always listening.

Part of the problem with prayer is that we leave it at that- talking to God. Whether it is daily and consistent prayer or just those “help me now God” prayers, we forget that we are to be in conversation with God. Prayer is not just giving God a shopping list of our needs, because God already knows what you need (Mat 6:8). Prayer is building and renewing your relationship with God.

When was the last time you heard from God? I’m not talking about a booming voice (remember when God spoke to Moses in the movie “The Ten Commandments?) coming down from the sky. God speaks to us in innumerable ways, such as in the storm and with His small still voice. He speaks to our minds, our hearts and our circumstances, but to hear Him, don’t we need to be actively listening for Him?

I’ve been reading a blog called, seekgodwithme.blogspot.com, which has been posting a series on “How to Hear God.” There are five posts that offer different ways to understand conversing with, not at, God. I hope you’ll time to mosey through these posts and perhaps gain a new or refreshed understanding of what it means to make time to listen to God.

How to Hear God, part 1

How to Hear God, part 2

How to Hear God, part 3

How to Hear God, part 4

How to Hear God, part 5

How Do I Pray to Thee? Let Me Count The Ways.

Ask the question, “What is prayer” and you will get a variety of answers. To some it is something you read from a book, and to others is must come from the heart. Some define it as having a formal pattern, or consider it to be more powerful if begins with praising God. Boisterous or gentle, full of beautiful words or silent, prayer is simply a way of connecting to God and participating in a relationship with the One who created and loves us.

Many of us have been in a meeting and heard the leader offer this invitation: “Who would like to start us off with prayer?” which was then met by prolonged silence. That is too familiar for comfort. Why are we sometimes afraid to pray? We are quick to console a friend with “I’ll pray for you” and but how often do we follow through?

I grew up in a home where prayer was regular: at meals and bedtime. Years later, as a young mother, I was at work and in need of prayer. I called my friend Terri to tell her about my situation and ask if she would pray for me. She listened and then said, “Sure… Dear Lord we come before you in prayer…” I’m sure I didn’t really hear the first line of the prayer because she had thrown me for a loop. No one had ever stopped what they were doing and prayed with me on the phone like that. The problem was not that it would have bothered my boss, as we were members of the same church, but that I was surprised by the immediacy of it. She didn’t just pray for me, she prayed with me and it gave me a feeling of comfort and a reminder of God’s presence.

The Bible gives many examples of prayer and occasions when we cry out, “hear my prayer!” Sometimes a prayer is pleading, meditating, interceding, or reflecting. The person praying is sometimes praying prayers of adoration or devotion, sometimes conversing, sometimes listening. There is no “best way” to pray, but prayer is definitely the best way to grow closer to the Lord and grow in our relationship with Him. Because He first loved us, He offers us His uninterrupted time to bend His mighty ear. In response to His love and as we learn to love Him more, we can accept the gift of prayer, recognizing it as a time of conversing personally with God our Creator.

Pray out loud. Pray without words. Use prayer books and spur-of-the-moment prayers. Use Lectio Divina and pray the Psalms. All of these have a purpose and a place in our prayer lives. Maybe your prayer life has become inconsistent or the same-ole-same-ole. If so, check out the UMC prayer site at www.upperroom.org/methodx/thelife/prayermethods and you will find links that may open up a new prayer experience for you.

Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” I encourage you to allow the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into your daily time of prayer life during this time of Lent.

WHAT IS LENT ANYWAY?

In the same way that Advent marks a time of preparation for the celebration of Christmas, Lent marks a time of prayer and reflection leading to the celebration of Easter. During Lent we face the reality of our sin and our need for forgiveness and new life through Jesus Christ. The forty days of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday (see our homepage for service times) and ends the Saturday night before Easter. The Sundays during worship are celebrated as “little Easters” and not counted as a part of the forty days.

Daniel Benedict, the director of worship resources for the General Board of Discipleship for the United Methodist Church, describes the purpose of Lent in his article “Water and Ashes Do Not Mix!”

"Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. More and more congregations are including "The Imposition of Ashes" in their worship on Ash Wednesday. It makes sense to do this, given the name of the day and the service; but the truth is, many Protestant churches have held the service without the use of ashes. For many, it was seen as "too catholic." And many Protestant churches were intolerant of such symbolic gestures.

As we have moved into the post-modernism of the late twentieth century, we observe that a shift has occurred. There is growing trust and appreciation of ritual gesture and symbol in our culture. Baby boomers and baby busters who were raised in a world of television and technology are visually-oriented and sensually-oriented. Icons, like the Nike swoosh, help many people of those generations make sense of the world. Ashes on the forehead, lots of water at baptism, bread that is really bread, anointing with oil for healing, and hands raised in praise are increasingly familiar and comfortable to the people in our congregations.

Ash Wednesday is a time to begin a rich journey. The Ash Wednesday Service is a frank recognition that we are mortal people who have sinned against God and our neighbor. See The United Methodist Book of Worship, page 321. As the introduction to the service says: "Ash Wednesday emphasizes a dual encounter: we confront our own mortality and confess our sin before God within the community of faith. The form and content of the service focus on the dual themes of sin and death in the light of God's redeeming love in Jesus Christ."

The people of Bellaire United Methodist Church invite you to take this journey of faith with us as we move into the season of Lent and look toward the celebration of Easter. If you would like more information please email us at info@bellaireumc.org with your questions and we will be glad to respond.

Commercials That Preach

There are two insurance commercials out there right now that have caught my attention. They both speak volumes in such a short time frame and contain powerful messages. The first is a commercial that shows a person needing help and out of the blue, a stranger comes over and helps her. Standing nearby is a third person who just happens to see the act of kindness. Soon, this third person sees another stranger needing help and goes to their rescue with a quick act of kindness. Across the street a fourth person who has seen this act of kindness and in turn helps yet another stranger. This chain reaction of people offering help to complete strangers is repeated over and over again. A second commercial uses a tag line that caught my ear before it caught my eye: “Let’s treat people more like they’re in your home and less like they’re in your way.”

Remarkable. Are these two secular T.V. commercials really espousing the idea that we should actually jump in and help complete strangers? Are we to truly take that idea a step further and treat everyone we meet as more than just strangers- treat them as important and loved family members?

Most Christians can recite the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (found in Mat 7:12). Most can tell you that Jesus said the two greatest commandments were, to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mat 22:37-38). How does our quickness in recitation compare to our resolve toward faithful action?

During this season of Lent (what is Lent? Click here) we should take time to consider the words and actions that fall short of glorifying God. Not to beat ourselves up, but to simply recognize that a course correction is needed- in our personal lives and in the lives of Christ’s church. How often do we justify our words of anger toward others and block out Christ’s call to love, even our enemies? Lent is a time to put an end to calling yourself a Christian and in the next breath speaking words that tear down instead of build up. Lent is a time to awaken from our tendency to sleep-walk though the journey of faith. It’s a time to commit senseless acts of kindness and a time to see people around you with new eyes, opened by Christ. It’s a time to make peace and mend fences. It’s a time to remember the joy of salvation and invite God to renew your spirit. Today I leave you with John’s words:

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:7-12)

Super Fans

Superbowl Sunday is a day that a nation full of football fans look forward to with eagerness. In addition to those who tune in to see the game, there is the multitude that tune in just to see the commercials. That would be me. Sure the game is interesting, with the back story of the players and the question of the underdog versus the undefeated, but I know that I don’t appreciate the beauty of the game like some of my friends. I’ll see a long completed pass or run for the goal line and be wowed by the technical accuracy of it all, and then be satisfied briefly. It is an enjoyable experience, but my heart and mind aren’t focused on the game.

On Sunday, as I watched the game, I looked at the people in the stands and saw the excitement on their faces. They prepared for the game weeks and months ahead, making plans to be there. Calendars were marked, bank accounts checked, travel plans were made, tickets and reservations were paid for, bags were packed, and the game was attended and enjoyed. During the game, hands were waived, comments were shared, and shouts were lifted up. After the game, the trip was relived through telling the story to friends and family saying, “You have to go with us next year!” The crowd couldn’t help but show their excitement as they praised the team and showed awe and reverence for the game. Their zeal, focus and fervor sounds a lot like some scripture I’ve read:

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Ps 100:1-2

I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Ps 9:1-2

I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you. Ps 35:18

Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! Ps 66:1-3

Just imagine those Old Testament folks, joining in with King David and others, rising up to praise God and “shout with joy.” Can you hear their songs? Can you see them so full of wonder that they sink to their knees and sing of God’s awesomeness? When was the last time you participated in praise and worship that unashamedly praised God and fully offered yourself in worship of your Creator? I’m not pointing to a style of service or asking when the choir or praise band was so animated and sounded so good that you felt it was safe to “let go” a little. I’m asking: When was the last time you went to worship prepared, with your mind set on hearing God’s word, with your lips eager to sing about God’s greatness, and with your heart open to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to guide you into awe inspired and joy filled celebratory worship?

As a society, we are quick to celebrate our celebrities, and proclaim our political opinions, claiming “free speech”, but we clam up when it comes to honoring God and celebrating His might. It’s a momentary bobble when we find that an office mate supports the other team, but that doesn’t stop both sides from openly discussing their “beliefs” about their team. But too often, Christians shy away from being just as open about their Christian beliefs. Too often, Christians arrive at church with little enthusiasm, expecting the preacher, the musicians, and the other members to put on a “good service”, with little input from the pews.

You, church… You, body of Christ… You, people of God, are here to respond to God’s love and His saving grace. Take time during this season of Lent to rediscover God’s greatness. Take time to read Psalms of praise and join the saints throughout history as they fill the eternal stadium, shout their unending praise, lift their hands in worship, and celebrate the One who is worthy of all praise.